We wanted to drop into The Gallery Cafe again, but given that those guys were having an off day because of some power issues, we came down to Guilt Trip. While we’ve had desserts here on a couple of occasions before, never sat in for dinner. We settled down in a corner of their brightly lit lower floor lounge. The seating arrangements could have been more comfortable, but I guess they are fine for a small place like this one.

We ordered for a Margarita pizza, Pomodoro Pasta, and a Devils Own.

Devils Own

The drink was served first, and this tasted alright. While the sugar was alright, I thought there was more coffee than required.

Margarita

An oval-shaped pizza was served soon, and it looked yum. On taste front, while the crust was good, there were more than a couple of burnt edges. There could have added more cheese as well.

Veg. Pomodoro

The Pasta turned out to be the best dish of the night. It was creamy enough, and had perfect seasoning.

To end the meal, we ordered for a Chocolate Mousse.

Chocolate Mousse

Surprisingly, this had more white chocolate than dark chocolate (I’ve never come across a white chocolate mousse before). It tasted alright but it definitely didn’t meet my expectations. In fact, while people swear on this place for their desserts, I’ve never experienced nirvana on any of their stuff. Either my expectations are too high or other people’s tastes are very different from mine.

Overall, a passable meal. With friendly service and decent ambiance, Guilt Trip should be a good hang out joint for teenagers and college folk. Maybe I’ve grown too old to relish such atmosphere.

At a recent Zomato meetup, heard people talk about this new cafe in town, and eventually decided to drop in on a Friday evening with my better half. Located almost opposite Ofen, The Gallery Cafe is a brightly lit restaurant with some neat interiors. As the name suggests, it’s a small gallery with limited number of tables. There was just one table occupied when we walked in, and we made ourselves comfortable in a corner.

I had already had read through their menu, so ordered for food right away; Cheese Corn Nuggets with Tartar sauce, Grilled Pannini with Cheese, and Spaghetti in Fine Herbs and Cream sauce.

We also ordered for a drink, Double Chocolate Shybby. This was served pretty quickly and tasted yum. Though a little too sweet for my liking, the extra dose of chocolate was much required after a long day.

Cheese Corn Nuggets

The Nuggets came in soon enough. While the quantity served seemed minimal, they tasted amazingly good thanks to the overload of molten cheese under the crisp coating. They went perfectly well with the Tartar sauce served along.

Grilled Pannini with Cheese

The Panini was served with Coleslaw and Fries, and tasted equally good. The bread was fresh and the stuffing was near perfect (thanks to the cheese). The Coleslaw tasted decent while the Fries could have been crisp.

Spaghetti in Fine Herbs and Cheese Sauce

Next came in the extra creamy Spaghetti, and that is exactly what the doctor ordered for. With perfect flavour and seasoning, it turned out to be yummilicious! The toast bread served along could have been better though.

Overall, a sumptuous satisfactory meal. Almost everything tasted perfect, thanks to an overload of cheese. The ambiance is great; you can bring in a book and chill, or work through the day thanks to electricity ports at every table. The service is prompt and the prices too are pocket friendly. Definitely one of the best cafes in town. Give it a shot!

That’s the first line uttered by the marketing manager as we, a few foodies, entered the DD’s first store in Hyderabad for a tasting session. The joint is on the ground floor of Inorbit Mall, facing the lake, and had very lively ambiance. We soon settled down for a chat with the PR team, who gave us a run through of DD culture, their presence in India, and more importantly the reasoning behind why it’s more than just donuts in our beloved country. I found their concept to be brilliant; target the ‘Happily Screwed’ crowd!

Once we were enlightened, it was time to taste the food; food one wouldn’t normally except at DD, food which isn’t regular. First stop, Wicked Wrap; complex, crazy, awsomely wicked.

Veg. Wicked Wrap

And boy, this was wicked. Crunchy nachos, jalapeno patty, spicy chipotle and raw mango sauces on a multi grain tortilla, this was definitely one of the best wraps I’ve tasted. It was truly wicked, with the spice lingering in my mouth for a long time. It hurt so good.

To help gulp the wicked wrap, we were served some Iced Tea.

Spiked Iced Tea and Iced Green Tea

Spiked Iced Tea had a cinnamon touch to it, and tasted very different; different good. The Iced Green Tea had a strong green tea flavor, yet was perfect. These really were saviours on my wicked ride.

If you’re not up to taste the wickedness, there’s a Not So Wicked Wrap for the faint hearted.

Next came the Tough Guy Burger, a burger that makes heart breaks 0.223% less heart breaking.

Veg. Tough Guy Burger

With the burger bun replaced with a tough bagel loaded with sesame seeds, this was definitely a definitely a tough burger. A delicious patty loaded with elephant yam, cheese and spicy mustard sauce; this was another winner.

Crunchy Joe

It was now time to taste Crunchy Joe. With toasted bun stuffed with Indianized black-eye bean curry, this was amazingly delicious. There was crunch in every bite; I absolutely loved it.

I wanted to taste the Naughty Lucy burger before I indulged on the Donuts, and while I wait for it, I asked for a Chocolate Dunkaccino.

Dunkaccino

Served with whipped cream, the chocolate shake was almost perfect. I just wish it were thicker.

Juicy Lucy Burger

Any finally came my Lucy! With a patty stuffed with molten cheese, eating this couldn’t get more messy than this. But who cares, when you’re in for some pure bliss. Lucy was super-duper cheesy 😀

Time now for the donuts.

Dunkin Donuts

Dunkin Donuts

I had a bite of almost everything on plate, and they were all yum. Loved the Chocolate ones the best. My usual favourite at DD, Boston Creme was missing today, but the rest made it up for it. Amazing finish to the brilliant meal.

Overall, the most satisfying meal I’ve had in a long long time. Perfect ambiance, great service and awesome food. And to make it more special, DD team gave me a goodie bag with six donuts, a DD mug and coupons for 365 days of donuts! The pricing might be a little on the higher side to dine in often (60 bucks for donuts, 60-200 bucks for the burgers + taxes), but I feel that they are still worth it. Go get your mojo back!!

Food: 9.5/10
Service: 9/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Meal for 1: Rs. N/A

Original Verdict: 9.5/10

Updated Verdict: 8/10

I’ve visited DD twice after writing the review, and the standard have dropped substantially. The service is mediocre, and hygiene has gone for a toss. They will need to pull up their socks in case they wish to sustain in the market!

I was recently invited to try the food at Blue Bottle Cafe by the owners, and the given the fact that I wanted to try this place anyway, dropped in on a Saturday evening. The Cafe is on the third floor of the buildings which hosts Lazzio- The Pizzeria and another new Indian restaurant, Hyderabad 33. The moment I stepped out of the elevator, I was pleased with the set up and loved the look of the place. It was very casual, and looked very Mediterranean (it actually reminded me of an Mediterranean Hookah joint I visited in Nashville, USA). I met up with the owner and settled down at a corner table.

To start off, I ordered a Kit-Kat Shake, followed by Chilly Cheese Toast, Szechuan Fried Rice and Chilly Mushroom.

Kit-Kat Shake

The shake was served soon and was well presented. The shake was thick and pretty good. I actually don’t like Kit-Kat so much for it’s too sweet for my liking, but the shake was just perfect. A good start.

Chilly Cheese Toast

The Chilly Cheese toast again looked good to look at, and I was impressed with the quantity served. The bread was perfectly baked and tasted good, but it had too much egg which was kinda bothering me. I didn’t really enjoy the fact that I was able to taste the egg more than the cheese.

Veg. Szechuan Fried Rice

I had asked for small portions of the Fried Rice and gravy, but even the smaller portion was quite a lot. The Fried Rice was made with Basmati Rice (which is unusual, for you don’t use Basmati for Indian Chinese food), and was very dry. That apart, it was very very spicy (Szechuan is supposed to be hot so no issues on that front). I believe it would have tasted way better with normal rice.

Chilly Mushroom

The Chilly Mushroom was again very spicy, and I was sweating profusely at one point. On taste front, it was decent and the mushrooms tasted good.

Overall, it was pretty good meal. But for my bad of ordering two spicy dishes for main course, I mostly enjoyed the meal. However, the rice could have been better. The ambiance is relaxing and the service seemed decent. The prices too aren’t really steep, and quantity of food served make up for it. Give it a shot if you haven’t yet.

Was travelling along Banjara Hills with amma a couple of weeks ago, and decided to stop by at Karachi Bakery for a quick meal. Not till then did I know that this place served only vegetarian savories.

Anyways, I ordered a Cheeseburger and a Hyderabadi Club Sandwich, and it took a while for the order to be served.

Veg. Cheeseburger

The burger came first and was piping hot. They microwaved it for too long and I couldn’t take a bite for almost ten minutes after it was served. On taste front, it turned out to be pretty good. Cheesy, with a lot of curry in between, yummy.

Hyderabadi Club Sandwich

The Sandwich was served almost when we were done with the Burger. It turned out to be quite disappointing for there was nothing Hyderabadi about it, and neither was there a cutlet/tomato omelet to make it a club sandwich. It was just a multi-layer grilled cheese sandwich wit tomato and cucumber, served with some coleslaw. It did taste good, but disappointment. Surprisingly, it was even priced higher than the burger.

To end the meal, I asked for a chocolate mini cupcake.

Mini Cupcakes

And for 20 bucks, I thought it was a pretty decent one.

All the pastries at the counter looked really good and tempting. Unable to resist, I asked for take-away of a Belgian Black Forest, a Chocolate Mousse Cake, and a Tiramisu.

Belgian Black Forest Pastry

The moment I reached home, I dug into all three for a taste, and the Belgian Black Forest pastry turned out to be the best of the lot. It was creamy, chocolaty, and really moist. Overall, yummilicious!!

Chocolate Mousse Cake

The Chocolate Mousse Cake was the second best. This had loads of cream (which I’m guessing was the mousse). I loved it!

Tiramisu

The Tiramisu was a little disappointing after two yummy pastries. It kinda tasted sour, and there was nothing great about it.

Overall, a pretty good meal. But for the sandwich and Tiramisu, everything turned out to be delicious. And the best part is that everything is priced reasonably, and there was total value for money. I’ve heard good things about their cakes, and after experiencing them myself, I certify them yum. Go hog!

First off, let me make it very clear that I love McDonald’s, or at least used to until my visit to the store on S D Road. Wanting to have some fries and ice-cream, we decided to drop in at McD on a Sunday evening. I ordered for a medium McAloo Tikki meal, asking for Coke Float instead of the Coke, Peri-Peri mix, a McFlurry ice-cream and a portion of the Crispy Veggie Poppers. The bill came up to Rs. 195/-, and I paid using my credit card.

While I was waiting for my order to arrive, I started to calculate why the bill turned up to Rs.195/-. I checked the bill, and was charged as follows.

In a nutshell, I was charged Rs. 102/- for the medium McAloo Tikki meal, Rs. 13/- for the Peri Peri mix, Rs. 25/- for the Poppers, and Rs. 22/- for the McSwirl, which comes upto a total of Rs. 162/-. I was surprised to see that I was charged Rs. 33/- as taxes. I don’t remember McD ever charging taxes on their food, for they were always inclusive, but having stayed away from India for a while, I thought it must be some new regulation, and was actually fine with it.

Then I look up at the display menus behind the counter, and see their new double burgers. This is what I saw.

If you observe closely, you will find the price for the Double McAloo Tikki medium meal as Rs. 100/-. I was startled by this. Being charged Rs.102/- for a single burger when the double burger was priced at Rs. 100/-, I immediately asked the guy at the counter about the same, and he informed me that the 102/- was including the taxes, which wasn’t the case. When I demanded for a better answer, he called upon a bunch of guys, all of them arguing that Rs. 102/- was the right price. I wasn’t planning to budge and therefore stood my ground.

They took my bill in, discussed a bit, and a while later, a new guy calling himself the manager (though he didn’t look like one) walks up to me and says that they have a new menu and the prices haven’t been updated yet on the display menu. When I asked how that was possible, he didn’t have an answer. I demanded to know the price of the McAloo Tikki meal. They actually didn’t know the price, and were punching it into the machine to tell me how much it costs. This time around, they came up with an even better number of Rs. 126/-. I was shocked to see this attitude from one of the best service restaurants in the world.

The manager, Sai Kiran, asked me to take a seat and enjoy my meal while he sorted things out and got back to me. My cousins and myself walked up to the first floor to sit and eat. Ten minutes later, he walks up and says that there has been some error, and wanted my phone number and email so that they could get back to me later. When I demanded an answer right then, he went back again and came back after another ten minutes. He said that the menu which was displayed was the lunch menu, and therefore had different prices. The display menu didn’t mention anything about lunch, and so I asked him for better explanation. He requested that I come down with him which I did.

While he was trying to argue with me and convince me that what was billed was the right price, I asked him to give me prices of the items in the meal individually. The McAloo Tikki cost Rs. 25/- (which was on the display), medium fries and Coke costed Rs. 42/- and Rs. 51/- (prices they had quoted) respectively. This total comes up to Rs. 118/-. A McChicken meal, with a burger priced at Rs. 75/- costs Rs. 122/- (can be seen in the left corner of the picture) instead of Rs. 168/-, a discount of Rs. 46/-. The Masala Grill Veg., which costs Rs. 39/- had a meal priced at Rs. 92/-, a discount of Rs. 40/-.The McAloo Tikki had a discount of Rs. 16/-. When I asked how this was logically possible, neither of the guys trying to argue with me had an answer.

While all of this was happening, they showed me the display again and again and tried to argue that the Rs. 100/- displayed for the Double McAloo Tikki was the lunch menu, rolled it over to show a new dinner menu, where in there was no McAloo Tikki meal. Both the menus, before and after the roll, looked exactly the same, and none of them had any mention of Lunch menu on it. This argument went on for a while, where in the bunch of guys including the manager would agree on the mistake that there was no mention of lunch on either of them, but had no answer. They said the marketing guys were responsible for the prices and display menus.

Another customer who overheard my argument joined in and pointed out on how the prices for the same item were different before and after the roll over; The Double McVeggie meal was priced at Rs. 139/- (as seen in the picture) on one side, and at Rs. 131/- on the other (I wanted to click a picture, but the manager didn’t let me). The manager told the customer that the rollover was the lunch menu, satisfied him and sent him away. Something I realized however was that the menu which showed Rs. 139/- was the claimed lunch menu, with the Rs. 100/- Double McAloo Tikki (picture), while the other menu, the supposed dinner menu had the Double McVeggie priced at Rs. 131/-. So the dinner was actually cheaper than the lunch. In either case, there was an error. When I asked the manager about the same, he was clueless. When I asked him for the printed menu with prices, he refused to show it to me. The fact that the same item had two prices on their menu came as a real shocker.

Having just completed my Global MBA, and having done more than a couple of cases on the efficiency and high service standards of McDonald’s, I was absolutely stunned at what I was discovering. It looked like they had no fixed price for any item, and were charging whatever they seemed right, and we as customers were paying it without questioning. If it were just a one-off where in I was charged wrong and was refunded, I would have shut up and left. However, it doesn’t seem like a one-off thing but something they do very often. Being given the bill after the cash has been paid, on most occasions, we have no clue on how much we are being charged for each item, and taking this as an advantage, McD seems to be, for lack of a better word, looting its customers.

Having been a fan of McD for as long as I can remember, I nevertheless hope that this was an honest mistake and they rectify it. In the case that it isn’t, McDonald’s will no longer be the place I’d be visiting for a long time. If you plan to, I’d suggest that you double-check your bill, for you never know how much the original prices of the items are.

As of now though, I’m no longer lovin’ it!

Update: I got a call this morning from the manager Sai Kiran. He apparently spoke to the head office about the prices and this is what he had to say – “Normal McAloo Tikki meal is Rs. 102/- and the Double McAloo Tikki meal is Rs. 105/-“. A difference of 3 bucks for an extra patty. When I asked him how the display said Rs. 100/-, he said the prices were printed wrong on the menu 🙂

Verdict: N/A

P.S.: I was told I would be getting a refund for they agreed there was an error, but was never offered one.

I’ve been wanting to visit this place for a long time, but the lack of company and/or an occasion kept me from it. It was one of my friend’s birthday last weekend, and I dragged everyone to Hard Rock Cafe. I was kinda skeptical if whether these guys would like the place, but thankfully, they did. The place was partly full when we dropped in around 8:30, but got packed as time passed by. We found a booth in the restaurant part of the cafe (the other being the bar section). The ambience and decor were very good, and it felt like I was in a real American cafe. The loud blaring music made sure no one was dozing. 😛

We took our time with the menu, and decided to start with a Veg Jumbo Combo, which included Santa Fe Spring Rolls, Onion Rings, Potato Skins and Tomato Bruschetta with four different sauces. The meat-eating friends ordered for Tupelo Chicken Tenders. We also ordered a drink each, and I asked for a Mango Cooler.

The drinks were served first, and I liked mine. It was a mix of Mango and Orange juices. Soon, the Jumbo Combo was served, and it was huge and every well presented. The Santa Fe Spring Rolls were heavenly and one of the best rolls I’ve had in recent times. Cheesy and crispy, they were yum. The Onions rings were alright, a little too oily, and the Bruschetta was pretty decent. The Potato Skins again were excellent. They were cheesy and perfectly baked. I’m not a big fan of salads, but the accompanying one tasted delicious.

For the main course, I ordered a HRC Veggie Burger with caramelized onions and mushrooms. Other guys ordered for Caribbean Black Bean Burger, Grilled Fillet Steak and Grilled Chicken With Lemon Caper Sauce.

It took a while for the main course to be served, probably because of the steak. When the food finally arrived, it was quite a sight. My burger looked super huge, and I was in for an absolute treat. It turned out to be scrumptious. I struggled to take it all in into my mouth and kinda made a mess of it before I finished, but it was worth all the mess. I only wish they went light on the caramelized onions, for it made it a little too sweet.

I had a taste of the Black Bean Burger, and it tasted pretty good as well. Unlike mine, which was served with a salad, this one came with crunchy Fries. The other guys were happy with their Chicken and Steak as well. I happened to taste the Mashed Potato which came with the steak, and it was again, heavenly. It was definitely the best Mashed Potato I’ve had in my life. Wow!!

We were pretty much stuffed, but I wanted to try their Chocolate Mousse. But the guy suggested we go for Chocolate Cake instead, which could be shared.

And the cake turned out to be luscious, moist and fudgy. It tasted even better with the Vanilla ice-cream. Yummy!!

Overall, an excellent meal. The food was finger licking good, and so was the atmosphere. I loved the music they played, the ambience, and their service. The only thing I didn’t like was the amount on the bill :P. It was expected to be an expensive affair, but to be honest, it was worth it. It was a perfect way to celebrate my friend’s birthday. I’m definitely going back soon to get another taste of their Spring Rolls and Burger!!

Dropped in at Heart Cup Coffee at Trimulgherry late afternoon on a Monday. The place was empty and we were the only guys at the joint. We later realized that there were more people sitting inside the alcoholic section. Part of the cafe was being turned into Quiznos, so the place seemed quite vacant.

They have a huge beverage menu to choose from, so it took quite a while for us to decide on stuff. After like forever, my friend ordered for a Brownie Shake and Chicken Nuggets, while I ordered an Apple Pie Shake and a Paneer and Spinach Sandwich.

The Brownie Shake was served first in a tall glass. It had chunks of brownie on the top, which tasted luscious. The drink was very chocolaty and good.

The Apple Pie Shake was good as well, but there was too much pie blended into the shake. This made it really thick and too sweet. I would have preferred it a little more milky.

After a long wait, the Panner and Spinach Sandwich was served, which was decent enough. The French Fries served along were crispy. I asked for some coleslaw, which was very good.

While I was waiting for my sandwich, my friend happened to finish his Brownie shake and ordered for a Mocha Frappe. The frappe had too much ice and was a little too strong for my taste.

Overall, a decent experience. The Brownie shake, the sandwich and the nuggets were good while the rest were average. Being the only people in the cafe, we expected quick service from them, but it took forever for the beverages and food to be served. I guess it’s better to visit this place in the evenings when its more crowded than in the afternoons. On the whole, a nice hangout zone with some good drinks and food.

Like this:

Though it’s located right next to my office, I’ve never visited Mocha so far, for I had a very bad experience the last time around. Walking in, the sections on the ground floor were all closed and I walked up to the first floor into the separate non-sheesha zone and seated myself in a corner. The seating was quite uncomfortable and the table was too high for the seat. Added to this, the cushions looked very dirty. The place in general looked quite unclean and everything around looked rugged and old.

Once seated, the waiter placed a torn menu on the table. I had already gone through their menu online, so asked for a Dutch Truffle Cake Shake, a Garden Fresh Panini and a Lava Lava desert.

It took exactly 20 minutes for my shake to be served. It looked good and tasted yummy. Apart from the whipped cream not being fresh, it was a perfect drink.

The Panini was served in the next 5 minutes. The bread looked a little dry, but along with the pesto sauce served, it tasted good. The vegetables were crunchy and the cheese gooey.

The desert, the Lava Lava cake turned out to be a disappointment. The brownie was very sweet and there was no hot chocolate sauce in it (no lava in the lava cake). The cappuccino ice cream served along was pretty good though.

Overall, except for the desert, rest of the meal was decent enough. Everything else about the place though was quite a let down. The ambiance was pretty much grimy, and the service was horrendous. Once I placed the order, there was no one around even to serve water. The prices too are on the higher side. With so many new and better cafes in the city, I wouldn’t recommend this place. Good food alone isn’t good enough, right?

I always wanted to go sit at this place and watch cricket matches, but never had the right company to do so. When I got an invite for a classic rock gig from a friend on couchsurfing, I had a reason to pull my ass out on a Sunday evening. There was also a ManU football match to enjoy.

So here I was, alone. I sat at a cozy bean bag table on the first floor, watching the Fulham vs Wolves game while enjoying the band play. I ordered a Virgin Caprioska and Crispy Chilli Potatoes to munch.

In about 10 minutes, my Caprioska (virgin) was served. I’ve never had one before, and thought this one was great. It had a nice lemon flavor to it, not too strong, just perfect for my taste. The sweetness also was perfect. I randomly chose my drink, and was very happy with it.

The Chilli Potatoes were served pretty soon. Julienne potatoes fried in honey chilli sauce, yum!! The potatoes were very crispy and I loved the taste. I was also very impressed by the quantity served and struggled to finish them all. Only problem was that they were too oily.

Since I was pretty full, I skipped the main course, and had another Caprioska while watching ManU beat Tottenham 3-1. The second one was much stronger than the first one, a little too strong for my taste. Towards the end of the game, I ordered a European Chocolate Sundae. It was creamy, with chunks of chocolate in it; not the best, but not bad either.

Overall, my experience was not as bad as I though it would be. I made some friends with whom I enjoyed the game. People scared me saying this place is really expensive, but it wasn’t that bad. The service was great, ambiance in my opinion was perfect, and the live music gig was good. It did seem a bit cramped for space though.

I had a pretty good time, and definitely will be going back to this place. I only wish I had company to go with!!